At a track meet last month, I had an opportunity to chat with one of our authors about many subjects connected with our hobby of live steaming. During the conversations, one item in particular came up that struck me as being very handy, almost one of those “Why didn’t I think of that” moments. I asked him to forward his message to me so I could pass it on to you as a very handy shop hint. He wrote…

Have you ever seen that sign in a library? I think the Dewey Decimal System was designed to confuse even the most educated of persons. The library provides a cart specifically to make sure you don’t put books in the wrong place.

I have applied that concept to my shop. If a visitor is using my shop, I ask them NOT to put tools back where they “think” they found them. I have a red Harbor Freight roll-around cart that is the recipient of all used tools and it can go anywhere the person is working.

Of course, the idea has now extended beyond visitors to myself. Isn’t it a real money saver that as you get older, all of your old railroad books and magazines seem brand new to you? Sometimes I now feel like a visitor in my own shop. The organized side of my personality has a place for every tool, and the creative side leaves them all lying on the workbench. Now, I drop every tool in the red cart until I get a “roundtuit” and sort them into where they belong. If any tools are lost, I know where to look since they are all lost in the same place!

Thank you for sending in your hint, Denis! I’m certain I’ll be using the same approach for my shop and garage. Spending time looking for something out of place can be so irritating, especially when time is running short.

As an appreciation for your helpful hint, we are extending your subscription for one issue.